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Israeli forces detain 9 Palestinians in predawn military raids

Feb. 19, 2017 2:16 P.M. (Updated: Feb. 19, 2017 5:22 P.M.)

(File)

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained at least nine Palestinians in predawn military raids Sunday across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In the southern occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem, Israeli forces raided the town of Beit Fajjar and detained Uday Muhammad Thawabta, Yousif Mahmoud Taqatqa, Iyad Mahmoud Moussa Taqatqa, and Rashad Samih Derayya.

An Israeli army statement said the four were detained over suspicions of throwing Molotov cocktails at the illegal Israeli settlement Migdal Oz, which is built on Palestinian lands near Beit Fajjar's entrance.

The Israeli army published security camera footage purporting to show three youths getting out of a vehicle and throwing Molotov cocktails at the settlement on Friday.

Also in the south, Israeli forces detained 20-year-old Tamer Awwad Nawfal at a military checkpoint at the entrance to the Hebron-area town of Idhna.

In the central Ramallah district, Israeli soldiers raided the village of Silwad and detained 42-year-old Faraj Shqeirat.

According to an Israeli army spokesperson, two additional Palestinians were also detained in Silwad.

In the occupied West Bank's Jerusalem district, Israeli forces raided the village of Hizma, which has seen an increase in military presence in recent days, and handed several young men summonses to appear for interrogation with Israeli intelligence.

Israeli forces also raided the Jabal al-Mukabbir neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem and detained Ihab Abu Dheim from his home in a predawn police raid.

Israeli forces carry out detention raids across the occupied Palestinian territory on a near-nightly basis, with the UN recording an average of 95 weekly raids in the West Bank in 2016, and 100 weekly raids on average thus far in 2017.

According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, 6,500 Palestinians were detained in Israeli prisons as of January.